Unite has welcomed Labour’s commitment to a robust and comprehensive trade remedies regime to protect steel and other British manufacturing jobs from unfair competition.

Steel industry concerns about the government’s Trade bill have highlighted the absence of any government intention to toughen the UK’s trade defence measures, even if the EU does.

Barry Gardiner, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, said he understood the fears expressed by the industry and trade unions that this failure to take a tough line on dumped imports will put steel sector jobs at risk, and called on the government to not stand idly by.

“Our steel industry is finally finding its feet and it is no surprise to Unite that it now fears that Liam Fox’s trade proposals will knock it out for good because we won’t have the customs might to stop the dumping of cheap Chinese competitor products.

“A trade remedies authority which can investigate claims about imports being unfairly priced means nothing if the government fails to take the same tough stance on dumped imports post-Brexit, through increased tariffs, as the EU has done.

“We welcome the Labour party’s commitment to defending British manufacturing jobs from unfair competition. We are confident that a Labour government would act to prevent job losses in this key sector of the UK’s economy.”